View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What city did Ressler go to in order to begin helping out with the newspaper boy case?

2. Almost all serial killers come from ____________ families, though they might not have a poor background.

3. What family members had Kemper already killed when he was sent to prison?

4. What was the job of the serial killer Gerald Schaefer?

5. What might a disorganized killer use in a kitchen if they were going to kill someone?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Vorpagel react quickly to the crime that was presented to him in this first case?

2. What is the profile that Ressler creates for the killer, when called into Vorpagel's case?

3. What was the difference that Ressler noticed in the murderer Richard Speck?

4. Of what murder is Ressler notified when he is leading a seminar at Michigan State University?

5. What is strange about the murder of the newspaper boy?

6. What does Ressler speculate about the community involvement of the murderer of the newspaper boy?

7. What does Ressler find out about the way that serial killers seem to view life as they grow up?

8. What was found several blocks away after the murder of a family of three as well as their baby?

9. What happened with the larger criminal that Ressler attempted to interview in order to solve a crime?

10. What does Ressler feel a disorganized killer might use when they are going to commit a crime?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

For a time, it was difficult to communicate crime information between agencies, leading to slower case resolution.

Part 1: Why do you think inter-agency cooperation wasn't considered earlier?

Part 2: How do you think agencies communicate today?

Part 3: What might happen to a killer if there were no communication between agencies?

Essay Topic 2

In some serial killer cases, the killers say that they are told to follow through on the killing because voices told them to do so.

Part 1: Why are many serial killers driven by the voices of others?

Part 2: Do you believe that serial killers are actually hearing voices or just making excuses?

Part 3: How do you think serial killers could be assisted in not listening to the voices that tell them to kill?

Essay Topic 3

Ressler notes that he does not believe a disorganized killer is the biggest threat.

Part 1: Do you think an organized killer or a disorganized killer is the greatest threat?

Part 2: Why do you think an organized killer poses a threat to society more than a disorganized killer might?

Part 3: How do you feel now that you know how serial killers think and act?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 699 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample